The door slammed open and Thomas thrust Laura roughly through the it. She balked, her face hot with fury.
"Stop it! Thomas, let me go!"
Thomas kept a firm grip on her upper arm as he turned to close the door. He remained silent.
"Thomas, I didn't know! How was I supposed to know?"
Thomas spun her to face him, and looked at her, nose to nose. "You didn't HAVE to know, Laura. But now Sara has a soggy dress and dinner was ruined, and all because you 'didn't know' she was my sister-in-law? I don't just hug random people, Laura. You are supposed to trust me. We are supposed to trust each OTHER. Yes?"
Laura sputtered, unable to dispute him. "But, Thomas! i just... i just saw you, and that girl! And I...."
"And you thought what? That I was flirting? Or I was cheating on you? Don't you give me more credit than that?" His voice was lower now, and the hurt was evident.
Laura looked down and blinked."Yes, but.. Gary always..."
Thomas spun her a half turn and gave her a single hard swat before turning her again, giving her a firm shake. "I am NOT Gary, Laura, I'm not! You will NOT hold ME responsible for him anymore! Do you understand?"
Laura stood still, and her face fell. "I'm sorry, Thomas. I'm sorry! I didn't know, and I...i'm sorry..." Laura dissolved into tears, sinking to the floor. "Please just go.. I don't deserve you... not anymore."
Thomas knelt on the floor beside her, holding her as she fought to push him away. "Shhh.. be still, baby. Be still..." He held her until she stopped struggling, then held her tighter as she sniffled. "Laura, you know me better than that. I'm angry with you, yes, and disappointed that you didn't trust me. But, there is no 'deserving' Laura. We love each other, and we work with each other. We handle things. But we don't do it by throwing wine on people. Understand?" His voice was gentle, and he ran a fingertip down her cheek.
Laura nodded, and smiled weakly, but Thomas wasn't convinced. He knew Laura. She wouldn't let go of this on her own. He had hoped he wouldn't have to go to that level, but he knew now that she wouldn't forgive herself without his help. He stood, lifting her to her feet as he rose.
"Now, let's go to the sofa and have this done with, ok?" He looked at her, and saw her face darken. He kissed the top of her head and tipped her chin up to look directly at him. "Laura, you know you can't get away with a tantrum like that. You know I can't let you just shed a few tears and let that be the end of it." He sighed, and put a hand around her waist, leading her slowly to the sofa. "Come on, baby. You can start being a good girl for me right now."
They had stopped behind the high sofa, and he stood behind her, placing his hands on her hips. "Shoes off, baby."
Laura obediently kicked off the shoes, and nudged them aside. She put her hands on the back of the sofa to steady herself as he lifted her and placed her over the back of it. She settled and leaned over, placing her hands on the seat.
Thomas lifted the skirt of the flimsy dress, raising it well above her hips and tucking the extra under her body. His fingers dipped under the waistband of her panties, and he drew them down to her knees, then off. He laid them aside with her shoes. Laura wriggled, her feet crossing and uncrossing at the ankles. Thomas leaned almost casually back against the sofa, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Alright, baby. Let's get started," he said, as a small warning, then began.
The spanks weren't hard, but they were quick, and in a few brief minutes, she was already pink. Laura was still, and she breathed through the first spanks. They stung, but she took them silently, preparing for more.
Thomas ran a hand over her bottom, watching the pinkness fade slightly, then tightened his grip on her waist. The spanks came again, harder this time. Laura gasped and twitched through this set as Thomas watched the brighter splotches bloom across her cheeks. Laura was wriggling a bit now, and her feet kicked, only just. She was gasping at the blows and made small whimpering sounds with some of the harder spanks. His hand bounced over her skin, and when it was a uniform red shade, he stopped again.
Laura breathed heavily, shifting over the sofa as Thomas again ran a hand over her bottom. He patted her bottom, not even a spank, then settled in to work on other areas.
Laura was no longer still as Thomas began again, starting at ther sit spot and moving steadily downward. His hand rose and fell in quick hard blows that peppered her thighs, leaving them rosy all the way to the hollows of her knees. She yelped as the spanks fell, her toes pointing at the floor as she struggled hard to keep still.
Thomas finished up with a quick once over of her bottom again, rekindling everything previously done. He stepped back, letting her breathe a bit before he finished up. He unbuckled his belt, and saw her close her eyes tight as it slid through the loops. He walked around to the front of the sofa, looking her in the eyes.
"I'm sorry, Laura. I truly am." His voice was soft, and her eyes were liquid as she looked up at him, speaking without words. Thomas sighed and held out the thick leather. Laura pressed her lips to it, thinking hard about her predicament. She looked away.
Thomas studied Laura for a moment, then walked purposefully around to stand behind her again. He shook his head. He'd seen her eyes. This would have to be harder than he'd thought. Thomas tapped the belt idly against his leg before measuring his distance. He gauged himself, placing the belt gently on her still red skin as he steadied himself.
Be brave, Baby, he thought. He lifted the belt high and brought it down with a whistle to fall heavily across the center of her cheeks. Laura tensed, but stayed still. Thomas brought it down again, and then again, laying two stripes square and true, right under the first.
Laura gasped, her body tensing. Her lip trembled and she half-turned, putting a hand behind her.
"Please.. Thomas, please!" her voice cracked as she spat the words out in the tiny pause between blows.
Thomas halted in midswing, grasping the offending hand. He tugged, putting it back over the edge of the sofa. He pressed against her as he did so, pushing her back into position, and leaning over her bent form. His breath was warm on her neck and she closed her eyes, cringing back from the closeness. She could feel the disappointment radiating from him when he spoke, softly.
"No."
Laura's brow creased. How did he know what that please meant? Then she closed her eyes, realizing that he knew her better than she knew herself.
"No, Laura. I won't stop. You haven't had enough. And even if you think so, I KNOW you haven't. So behave, and keep still. You will NOT cause me to hurt you by moving out of where I put you."
Laura sighed heavily, the tears wet on her cheeks, and pressed herself more firmly into the couch.
Thomas stood back, and raised his arm again. His face was resolute and hard, and his eyes had a steely glare that she seldom saw. The belt swished through the air and landed with a sharp CRACK, the leather tugging at her bare skin.
She yelped, twisting, and the tears fell again as she settled back down.Thomas swung again and again, watching as the belt raised bright welts on her tender bottom. With the first stroke that laid a bluer line, Laura cried out louder than before and finally lay still over the back of the sofa, sobbing, her body twitching slightly as each blow fell.
Thomas placed another four on her thighs, taking a grim satisfaction in her shrieks. She would not soon forget this lesson. He sighed heavily, and laid the belt aside, standing back and watching his love pour out her self-loathing into the cushions of the sofa.
When her sobs had subsided to a few well-spaced hiccups, he came to her side, tracing his fingers down her back.
"I love you, Laura," he whispered, his hand coming to rest firmly on the small of her back. "I would never leave you. Do you understand?"
Laura nodded, her breathing slower now, almost back to normal. Thomas lifted her by her hips, setting her feet on the floor. One hand slid up to her back, keeping the skirt of the dress lifted off her bruised bottom as he turned her to face him.
He held her close, smoothing her hair. She shuddered, tears of different sort now dampening his shirt. "Shhhh... no more of that darling.. It's alright now. Tomorrow, you'll call Sara and apologize, and it will be all forgotten. Alright?"
Laura nodded again, and he placed a finger under chin, tipping her face up to place a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Good. Now then. How much do you love me?" he asked with a smile, starting their nightly ritual.
"All the way to the moon..." she whispered, her lips curling gently into smile that was now genuine. "How much do you love me?"
He ran his hands down her sides, wrapping then around her and pressing her to him. "To the moon and back."